different between polecat vs ferret

English

Etymology

From Middle French pole (“hen”) + cat. Origin unknown, possible explanations include its fondness for poultry, or the Old English word fol, "foul", because of its smell. The same species was also known as folmart, "foul martin".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p??lkæt/

Noun

polecat (plural polecats)

1. A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
   1. notably, the European polecat, Mustela putorius.
      • 1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth, Duckworth, hardback edition, page 61

        By the little garden pergola open to the winds some fluttered peacocks were blotted nervelessly amid the dripping trees, their heads sunk back beneath their wings: while in the pergola itself, like a fallen storm-cloud, lolled a negress, her levelled, polecat eyes semi-veiled by the nebulous alchemy of the rainbow.

      Synonyms: fitch, foumart

2. (US, dialects, including Appalachia) A skunk.
3. (television) A tubular device used to support lights on a set.
   • 1991, Gerald Millerson, The Technique of Lighting for Television and Film (page 323)

     This is adjustable telescopic tubing, wedged securely between floor and ceiling (vertical pole) or wall-to-wall (horizontal pole), within corridors, arches, window openings, doorways, etc. It may be held in position by a strong internal spring or end-screws. Designs include polecat, varipole, barricuda, jack tube, Acrow.

   • 2013, Alan Bermingham, Location Lighting for Television (page 196)

     This uses a battery-operated HMI/MSR 200 W rigged on a magic arm fastened to a vertical 'pole-cat'. Check that the car roof is suitable for this application and remember to include a clean card (beer mat) between the top of the pole-cat and the car roof!

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• polecat on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• colpate, pot lace

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: f?r'?t, IPA^(key): /?f???t/
• Rhymes: -?r?t

Etymology 1

From Middle English furet, ferret, from Old French furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittum (“weasel, ferret”), diminutive of Latin f?r (“thief”).

Noun

ferret (plural ferrets)

1. An often domesticated mammal (Mustela putorius furo) rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
2. The black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes.
3. (figuratively) A diligent searcher.
   • 1998 July 2, Charles Nicholl, "Screaming in the Castle" in the London Review of Books, Vol. XX, No. 13:

     The most challenging documentary discoveries were made by a tenacious archival ferret, Dr Antonio Bertoletti. In 1879 he published his findings in a slim, refreshingly dry volume, Francesco Cenci e la sua Famiglia.

Related terms

• ferret-badger
• furtive

Translations

Verb

ferret (third-person singular simple present ferrets, present participle ferreting, simple past and past participle ferreted)

1. To hunt game with ferrets.
2. (by extension, transitive, intransitive) To uncover and bring to light by searching; usually to ferret out.

Translations

Etymology 2

Italian fioretto

Noun

ferret

1. (dated) A tape of silk, cotton, or ribbon, used to tie documents, clothing, etc. or along the edge of fabric.

   • red tape and green ferret

Further reading

• ferret on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• refret

French

Etymology

From fer +? -et.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?.??/

Noun

ferret m (plural ferrets)

1. (metal) tag; aglet, aiguillette

Further reading

• “ferret” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Verb

ferret

1. third-person singular imperfect active subjunctive of fer?